Although still a bit shy about our kiss, I nonetheless asked about the next step.
"The next step is simply to raise your magic level to level 1. Without that, you won't be able to attach a mask to your heart."
I nodded and got into a meditation position in the living room. I thought creating runes without elements would be difficult, but it wasn't at all. Once I bring the mana to create a rune, it automatically becomes non-elemental. The only difficulty is that it takes time. Although the process is automatic, the fusion of all primary elements into one takes time. But I don't mind.
Creating my runes took a long time. I spent my days meditating. The only times I stopped were when Maya brought me food. She's so sweet; she doesn't have to take care of me, but she does anyway.
While I was working on my runes, Maya was busy improving herself, either by crafting puppets, upgrading my Doll Mask, or simply creating and refining other masks for practice.
"Mina, take a break."
"But I'm still far from finished, Maya."
Maya laughed softly before whispering in my ear and gently caressing my cheek.
"Mina, it's great that you want to work hard to improve yourself, but taking breaks is a good thing too. If you push yourself too hard with the runes, at some point you might experience mental burnout."
I looked at her, but I have to admit that I don't really have this problem. As Jina, yes, my mind suffers because I'm controlling Mina. As Mina, I don't face this issue. Although I struggle to move my real body when controlling Mina, Mina's mind has no problem. At worst, the pain in my head, in my real body, becomes more intense.
"Even though I don't know how strong your mind is, Mina, I don't want to risk you reaching that point."
Seeing her concern, I couldn't help but smile a bit shyly, feeling happy. I kissed her cheek to thank her.
"Alright! Then let's go have some fun, Maya!"
"I've already got everything planned. Even though we haven't known each other long, I'm sure I know how to help you relax!"
We went outside. Now that I take a closer look, this world seems like the 19th century but more of a magical modern era than a technological one. Magic replaces technology here. It's truly beautiful. Maya showed me lots of places for daily life, fun, or relaxation. Once we were done, she took me to a park where she laid out a picnic blanket filled with food.
"You did all this?"
I was astonished.
"Yes! I hope you can relax, not think about anything, and just enjoy."
I laughed; she's so cute.
"With you? That will be really easy!"
"You little charmer!"
Maya giggled softly, the tips of her ears turning a bit red, pleased by the compliment. We sat down, eating peacefully. I even fed her a few bites. After finishing the meal, we lay down on the blanket quietly. I glanced at Maya and moved closer little by little. When I was close enough, I wrapped my arms around her, letting her rest on my shoulder. She blushed shyly but didn't pull away. On the contrary, she wrapped her arms around my waist, enjoying our embrace.
Without realizing it, I fell asleep. A few hours later, Maya gently woke me up.
"Sweet Mina, wake up, it's getting late for the next part."
I pulled her even closer, not wanting to leave or wake up.
"Mmh... Just five more minutes, Maya."
"Hahaha, normally, I would, but I've planned a little dinner at one of my favorite restaurants."
She whispered in my ear.
"A restaurant with lots of magical masks..."
Without hesitation, Mina jumped up immediately.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Maya laughed at the sudden change, finding it cute. We set off. It only took about thirty minutes to get there. Once seated, I looked around. So many masks! But there was something strange about them.
"Are the masks broken?"
"Yes, the ones displayed were purchased when a mask was beyond repair. The owner simply fixed them without magic to restore their appearance. But for a maskomancer, these masks are basically trash."
"But I'm glad they ended up here; it's like they're living out their retirement while still being seen, so they're not forgotten."
I nodded. As Jina, I don't see the point, but as Mina, she seems totally in agreement. I guess talent still has its influence here.
The servers at this restaurant are amazing. They're not humans or supernatural creatures but puppets with masks! There are all sorts, from the most normal to the most bizarre! Our server arrived with our dishes. As Jina, I found it terrifying: its arms were scattered all over its body, the top part looked like... a tangled bag? It had no eyes, and the lower part was like a horse, but instead of a tail, four arms were sticking out... But as Mina, I found this puppet very cute... I think Mina is done for.
Our meal was surprisingly delicious. Maya explained that the owner is actually a very famous craftomancer, but after several wars, he grew tired of such a life, so he opened a restaurant with his passion creations. He even crafted kitchen utensils—artifacts that, once leveled up, have spirits that can be summoned to use themselves, with intelligence if they are enhanced further. Once the owner reached this level, he hired magical chefs to teach them recipes. The dishes range from the most common you can find anywhere to the most unique, even specially created recipes for his restaurant.
"That was delicious, Maya. I had a lot of fun today."
Maya smiled, happy. We both headed home. On the way, I took Maya's hand. I expected her to pull away, but instead, she squeezed my hand even tighter. Once home, she looked at me shyly before glancing towards the bedroom.
"..."
I immediately understood. And my response was extremely polite: I scooped her up like a princess and ran straight to the bedroom!